Assistant Canyon Leader Assessment - Mountaineers Seattle Program Center

We will confirm once we have a roster. Most likely, the Assistant Leader Assessment will start late-morning on Saturday until about 5 or 6pm, and again Sunday from 8am-2pm. To be safe, plan for 8-6 each day.

Application

saturday afternoon

Assessment Objectives:

Students must be able to demonstrate, at minimum, sufficiency in the skills being assessed. Sufficiency = 3 on the Mastery Hierarchy: (1=failure, 2=insufficient, 3=sufficient, 4=proficient, 5=mastery).  

These skills are not expected to be done quickly or perfectly, but rather showcase that students are able to demonstrate the required technical skills without assistance, and without any major safety errors. They must be executed effectively in a reasonable amount of time. Sufficiency means a student is at a suitable level of skill for independence.

Guidelines

Candidates may use any piece of equipment on their harness to complete the techniques being assessed. Additional equipment will be provided by the assessors if necessary for specific techniques.

How to Pass Each Assessment

1. Complete the task without any major safety errors (errors that have a high probability of leading to serious injury or death), and with 2 or fewer minor errors (errors that, with other compounding factors,  could lead to serious injury or death)
2. In the event that you commit a major safety error, you will be asked to meet 1x1 with a different assessor at the end of the day (after assessments are complete), and correctly demonstrate the skill where you committed the error, and explain to the assessor the error you made, and why it’s a critical safety error. If you cannot do this, you will need to take the entire assessment again another day.
3. In the event that you commit 3 or more major errors in a single assessment, you will need to re-take the entire assessment at the end of the day (after assessments are complete). If you do not pass, you’ll need to take the assessment again another day.

INDIRECT RESCUE: ROPE CUTTING (TIMED)

As the anchor manager, cut the primary rope and lower a teammate with a rescue rope. Students must approach the system with their harnesses racked as they would be normally. Time starts as soon as the student clips their lanyard into the anchor. Any safe method is acceptable (1 min. 30 sec. or under) Maximum 3 attempts.

PERSONAL MOVEMENT - QUICK-RELEASE ASCENDING SYSTEM

Ascend and convert to descent using a VT and Italian 8 on a single rope system

SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Provide a belay from the top, and then from the bottom, to protect a rappeller

GUIDED RAPPEL TEST

Rig, manage & clean a guided rappel

• Rig using an Italian 8
• Use a conveyor belt system to lower a stuck rappeller

SUNDAY MORNING 

NATURAL ANCHORS 

Build a series of natural anchors, including building and managing a cairn anchor

• Redundant Basket Hitch around a rock pinch
• Single strand around a tree
• Build & manage a cairn anchor

CONVERT STATIC RIGGING TO A LOWER

CONVERT RELEASABLE RIGGING TO A HAUL

PICK-OFFS

Use a VT Prusik as a pickoff strap

SUNDAY AFTERNOON 

CORE SHOT MANAGEMENT

As the anchor manager, respond to a teammate communicating that there’s a core shot, manage the anchor for the remainder of the team, and manage abrasion as the last person down.

• Tie two ropes together with stacked overhand or other safe method
  • Creep the rope with ropes tied together
• Isolate  a core shot with a safe clip-in point
• De-rig and descend double strand to mitigate abrasion
  • Pass a knot double strand on descent
  • Manage ropes to keep them from twisting

RIG & MANAGE A REBELAY

Rig a rebelay, and anchor-manage at the rebelay

TWIN SYSTEMS

Rig and retrieve both twin static and twin releasable systems

• Special rigging plates (eg. Totem, double-8, etc…) are not acceptable for this assessment

LOWER JOINED ROPES PAST  AN ANCHOR

While lowering a teammate, safely transfer two ropes joined together past the anchor to continue lowering.